The 2 SISTERS have often collaborated on stories. TWO (the oldest and wisest sister) has always been a Master story teller and has entertained so many thru the years with her golden words which are always wrapped with a twist of humor and QUEEN (the spoiled baby of the family) has always adored and admired TWO with her ability to captivate her audience. Grandma Sandy can testify to her
precious memories of the
blackberry stories always created spontaneously whenever she was with TWO -whether they were in the kitchen preparing a meal, stretched out on the bed getting ready for a nap, or whether riding down the HIGHWAY at a great rate of speed, there was always "
a blackberry story" to be told from looking around the world that surrounded you. These are still as "alive" and "realistic" as they were told to her (Grandma Sandy) as a child by TWO. In fact, Grandma Sandy was the one to suggest that THE SISTERS get a blog site and share their memories from the past as well as give updated and EMBELLISHED stories that they encounter in the present days.
I found this post that we did back in 2006 around FATHERS DAY which is about an experience that TWO shared with our daddy. He has been gone from this world a long time, but our precious memories have never faded and the older we get, the more our love and appreciation grows for his dedication to our family and the years that he worked so tirelessly to provide for us. Oh how we wish that we could tell him NOW how much we love him-- and how grateful we are
for all that he did for us and how he taught us so much about loving and giving and caring--- but we will be able to do that ONE DAY.
This adventure is long, but We know that you will ride right along with us on the journey!! sit back and live days of long ago as seen thru our eyes.
Another "Two Sisters" Collaboration
Writing by Sister TWO
Music, Graphics, and Editing by Sister QUEEN (sorry, in copying and pasting this, all of the graphics and music did not transfer)
A Moving Experience..
Once upon a time, long, long, ago, in a far away place called Mississippi there came a call for help.
In our family that lived on Belvedere Dr. Jackson, Miss. there was a son named the KING, who had just graduated from Auburn University. He was now starting his Naval Assignment in Quantico, Vir..
It was quickly discovered that the housing in the area was limited and terrible... so the call for HELP goes out.
Now most people move their family and furniture to a house...... NOT US....... We move the house and furniture to the family.....
An ambitious plan was made to move a house trailer all the way to Vir. from Miss. I was CHOSEN, to take my weeks vacation from work to help with what I now call THE ULTIMATE MOVE, My understanding was, I was going along to keep daddy company and help watch out for traffic. The bonus for me was that I would get to run over to Washington D.C. and see the sights... Sounded like a pretty good plan...
Remember the stories of the Wagon Train Days of the Old West???
Well this is the story of the House Trailer Days of the Old Hot South. Very similar experiences.
Here are a few facts to keep in mind...
No. 1 .. We are driving just a reg. pick up truck..not a heavy duty cab from an 18 wheeler...we are pulling a 48 foot house trailer..
No. 2... No Air Conditioner or radio or any other modern thing, and the temps in the old days were just as bad as they are today.....
No. 3 .. No Cell phones or C.B.'s or warning devices of any kind.
No. 4.... FORTY EIGHT FEET LONG.... EXTRA WIDE LOAD....
No. 5..there were No cars driving interference in front and back of rig. with flashing lights for protection..
They hadn't thought that up yet. Safety was pretty much up to the individual.
And guess what??? No Interstate Highways--Just 2 lanes all the way.
No. 6.... DADDY (father of the needy family) could do anything, you name it ..he could and would do it. usually better than anyone else. But that's another story....
No. 7..... SBC known now as TWO (sister of needy family) decided to keep a sort of journal of the trip as it was quite certain that the people back home would want to know the whole thing.. Better to let them read it than to have to repeat it over and over. And also there was a slight fear that something would happen, that they might not ever make it home..
Danger ... is an understatement... Maybe they would find the journal and know a little of what hardships were suffered for the "needy family" in Vir.
No. 8......... Following is a copy of the Original Journal written in June of l958 on the trailer trip to Virginia.. NO WORDS have been changed to protect the innocent or to improve the story...It was typed and saved by Grammy- mother of the evidently "desperately needy" family. in Vir..
She put it in a box of special pictures and papers and such that she had for each of her children , to be given to them when she died.. This was in SB's (TWO) Box.. I share it now with you our cousin known as "The Mad Hatter", as you make your move. My hope is that after reading this you will feel more UNDERWHELMED than OVERWHELMED, with what you have to do. If through the years you have read it. you will probably enjoy reading it again.
"The Ultimate Move"
By SBC. Now known as the "Tall Willowy One" or TWO. And LRC, (spoiled baby of family called Doodle back then) but now known as "The QUEEN".
The story was originally known as:
MY FANTABULOUS TRIP TO QUANTICO, VIRGINIA
DESTINATION: QUANTICO, VIRGINIA (from Jackson, MS)
OBJECT: Transport 48 foot house trailer
REASON: So my poor brother (the KING) would have a place to live.
MINOR DETAILS: Pulled by pick-up truck. Driven by H.W.C (my father) called DADDY
JUNE 14TH , 1958
6:30 – Left Jackson in the finest of style, wearing Bermuda shorts (not short-shorts), riding in a pick-up truck, pulling a house trailer. Just the kind of glamorous vacation every 21 year old career girl dreams of. Mother and the QUEEN followed us out to the Billups 66 Service station. Queen discovered that the colored boy had left a rake on top of the trailer. You know every trailer needs a rake on top. So out in the middle of the early morning traffic, Daddy hoists the QUEEN to the top of the trailer to remove the rake. Yes, I can see right off that this trip promises to be very eventful.
(update 2010-- couldn't you see Daddy trying to Hoist the Queen today???)
QUANTICO BOUND ! ! !
8:00 -- Stopped in Forest and had coffee. Daddy’s arm already worn out.
- We still have courage –
9:10 – Chunky
10:00 - Stopped out of Meridian for gas. Got a new map and a new route
10:20 - Passed Stuckey’s - - but did not stop
- MONTGOMERY or BUST –
10:25 – Stopped at Truck scales but didn’t get weighed.
10:35 – Mississippi, Alabama Line. Have no fears of being picked up by Radar as top speed is 35 mph…
10:45 – Stopped to make decision on which way to go-Birmingham or Montgomery. We had planned to flip a coin, but didn’t have one. So we are headed for Montgomery.
11:15 – Demopolis – Stopped to eat lunch. Daddy had a beef stew luncheon with vegetables. I had a cheeseburger. Daddy’s arm is very tired and about to fall off. He is also very sleepy. My arm is blistered from hanging out the window. So far everything on the road has passed us except a man on a mule; and I didn’t think we could pass him! Just saw the fattest man in the world, he could weigh no less than 500 lbs. If I just had my camera I would make Daddy take a picture of me WITH this rather large man. Just think how small I would look.
12:45- well it started raining. I seem to be losing some of my courage with a blistered arm, daddy’s worn out arm, our slow rate of progress and now the rains descending upon us. But I will not give up. I will press relentlessly on.
12:47- Rain stopped. I knew all the time things would get better.
2:30 – Selma- just passed the Air Force Base, nobody in the share-a-ride house (darn it) . when we came through town, a crazy man just backed out of a parking place and almost hit the trailer, but my quick thinking and acting saved the day. I simply hung my head out the window and screamed STOP! STOP! He STOPPED! All in a day’s work, no cheers please.
3:45 – Stopped in Montgomery for gas. We coasted into station on our gas fumes. Met a very nice man and lady who own the service station and tourist court. It is very hard to find a station that has a place long enough in front to pull our rig into. I drank two cokes, I was very thirsty. I quote Daddy as we drove in Montgomery, “this Alabama has some of the craziest fool drivers I’ve ever seen.” I now am beginning to realize my purpose in this trip. I am supposed to jump out of the truck in the middle of town and hold up traffic while Daddy skillfully makes a turn, then run my poor legs off and jump back into the truck as it is impossible to stop this rig once it is started it’s turn.
5:20 – Spied a colored motel. Negroes sure have to drive a long way to find a place to sleep. The first we’ve seen all day.
7:00 – arrived in Columbus, Georgia. Had all kinds of trouble finding the truck route. Right now the truck, big fine trailer and I are parked in a shopping center while Daddy looks for some electric lines in one of the stores. This shopping center is larger than Westland Plaza. We spent the night in the trailer at a service station next to the shopping center. The time has changed, instead of 7:00 it is 8 o’clock. Just enough time to run out to one of the stores and get Daddy a “Father’s Day” present.
JUNE 15, 1958 – Father’s Day and Family Reunion Day back in Mississippi
5:45 a.m. – We’re off again after an almost sleepless night. I would wake up hearing voices and looked out the window and Daddy would be talking to travelers about what routes they were taking. (I think that he slept in his clothes and got up every time a car stopped for gas). All points from here on are new to me.
6:25 – We have hit some of the worst curvy, bumpy, and hilly roads. Daddy says, “I’m going to strike this state plumb off my list.”
10: 15 – Stopped in Macon, Georgia for breakfast and gas. We missed our turn and will have to go back through town. A very nice man at the service station will lead us back through town and help us make a very sharp turn.
6:00 – Arrived in Columbia, South Carolina in the finest style possible. As we pulled into Columbia (it was Sunday afternoon and heavy traffic) there was nothing but “road hogs” and what should be flagging us down but a highway patrolman (why did he flag us down? we had done nothing wrong). Another patrolman pulled up behind us. Daddy quickly jumped out to tell them we had done nothing wrong but they just took Daddy to their car and just left me sitting there. I looked around to see what interesting sights I could see and found that we were parked in front of the most appropriate setting, a junk yard. Everyone that passed by began to stare at me (by this I was sitting out on the running board of the truck and stared right back). After what seemed like hours to me the patrolmen and Daddy (their prisoner) got out of their car and came to the rig and pulled out one of the longest measuring tapes I had ever seen and started measuring the truck and trailer. Then they went back to their car and never said the first word to me. Of course this deflated my ego something terrible as both of these patrolmen were quite handsome and young and unmarried (I think – they had no rings on anyway). The next thing I knew Daddy was handing them a $10.00 bill and we were being led to the nearest motel. Daddy informed me that we were pulling a trailer in excessive length through South Carolina without a permit, which we couldn’t secure till 8:00 the next morning. Well, that was alright with me as I was very tired and would welcome a bed, meal and a very hot shower. It was a very nice motel and it did have a hot shower, but no restaurant. So I had to settle for a glass of ice cream, which was bought from a small Totesum store near by. I also bought a book to read, which I immediately set out to do on the front porch of the Motel in hopes that the cute patrolman would pass by – and he did ( I knew I had not lost all of my charm, but he only waved at me from across the street). Oh well, I needed to go to bed anyway.
Monday 7:00 a.m. - Daddy set out to find a ride to town to get our most needed permit. I just sat in my motel room and read my book. 8:00 O’clock came and he didn’t return. 9:00 O’clock and no Daddy, so I decided that as long as I would be there a while I would just make some friends. You know it never hurts to have a few friends everywhere. So I quickly made friends with the lady next door. After talking to her for a few minutes, I discovered that her husband was a house trailer salesman, that ended that friendship right then and there. You see I had grown to dislike house trailers very much by this time.
10:00 - Daddy finally arrived and said we could leave. I found out the reason for the delay and it was because we had a dead battery on the truck. Wasn’t it nice for the battery to go dead a the motel instead of some long hill?
By this time I had lost all track of time and so from here on it will be just events and no time.
By now we had begun to worry about needing a permit in North Carolina too, so the first large town we came to was Rockingham and as we drove into it, Daddy pulled over to the side of the road and went to a service station to get some information and a map. I was assigned to keep my eyes peeled for a highway patrolman. While peeling my eyes, I spied a bunch of towels blowing in the breeze, it was a cannon towel wholesale house. I jumped out of the truck and ran up the hill as hard as I could and went inside and bought six towels and six bath cloths, knowing full well we did not have room for an extra bundle, but they were such a bargain and I kept visualizing the happy look on Mothers face when I would present them to her.
We stopped at a truck stop for lunch and just as we were leaving we found that one of the tires on the trailer was going flat.
I thought again how sweet it was of the trailer to let it’s tire go flat at a service station. Naturally, we were delayed for about an hour. Will we ever get there I thought. Perhaps someday in the far-off future.
One of the biggest hills we ran across was in the very heart of Rockingham, N.C. where we were to get our permit. We nearly burned the clutch out on the truck. All of this time we had come some several miles out of the way to avoid the mountains, but some of the hills we came across were comparable to medium-size mountains. Just about the worst predicament we got into was in Rockingham, where we had to park the long, long trailer next to the post office in the middle of town, in order to get the permit. It took 5 parking meters to park. Conveniently enough there was just enough space in the 12 min. zone to accommodate us. It was not easy to back this rig into the place, but it was even harder to get it out, for the simple reason that there was a telephone pole which would scrape the side of the trailer. I was on duty in the middle of the street directing traffic, and Daddy was laboring in the hot sun trying to get the trailer clear of the telephone pole. There was a very old man standing on the sidewalk watching intently. Naturally, we thought the man would tell us if we were too close to the pole, so Daddy looked at the man and he just looked back at Daddy as if to say, “you got it made this time”. So Daddy gave it the gun and of course, the old man just kept looking in approval and the trailer scraped the pole. Highly intelligent people in Rockingham, I mused. Well, we lost about 30 minutes trying to get out of the parking places. I jumped back into my co-pilot position in the truck and gave a hurried look in my King-sized rear view mirror and gave the signal to go ahead. We are at last on our way and perhaps we will arrive soon.
We drove into Raligh, N.C. pitifully tired and looking like tramps. It was time to get the rig off the road for the night as you are not allowed to pull a trailer on the highway after dark. We found the most inviting looking motel with plenty of space to park and a beautiful lake in front. After a hot shower, I ventured out to meet some new people. I met them all right. Some of the most interesting people I have ever met in all my travels. (I’ve never been further than Ala., of course). I even met some people who were from Jackson who worked for the people who lived across the street from me. You will notice that I said LIVED across the street from me. By this time I was quite confident that I would never see my old home again. I will not take time to describe the people I met at this motel, but take my word for it there could be no more interesting people in the entire world.
Next morning dark and early we set out on the last plato of our journey to Quantico, I had almost forgotten where we were going. You may wonder why I haven’t mentioned any of the scenery or the towns that we went through. Well, it is because I never SAW any of that. You see, my eyes had to stay glued to my rear view mirror, all I ever saw was the highway behind us and the end of the long, long, trailer. It seems to me it must have been around 2:00 that afternoon when we finally arrived in Quantico, and who should we meet driving down the highway, but MY OWN DEAR BROTHER. The first words he said were, (and I shall never forgive him --- “I’ll bet it wasn’t hard to pull the trailer, I’d like to try it myself!”)
Well, of course, Daddy and THE KING left me sitting in the truck while they went off in search of trailer parks. I thought to myself what a glorious ending to the perfect dream of a vacation. However, it was not long before they returned and off we went to the trailer park that was to be the new home of this monstrous thing that had plagued me for so long. The rest of the day was spent in setting up the trailer.
To my great surprise, Daddy planned to spend the next day in Washington D.C., JUST FOR ME. However, the next morning was spent in fixing the starter on the truck which had conked out. So about 12:00 we set out for Washington. We had lunch in Alexandria, Va. As we were leaving the restaurant who should be driving down the street but our old friend from home – Billy B. He went to Washington with us; and very expertly flew us around the traffic in the capital. We saw many of the sights that I had heard of all my life. Of course, we saw them from the car. We only got out once and that was at the grave of the unknown soldiers. But at least I did see the other things. Very educational and inspiring. I saw the President. Well, I saw a big black car with flags on the front and a man on a motorcycle blowing a siren. Of course I choose to think that I saw the President of the United States car. We left Quantico, Va. At 6:00 the next morning which would be 4:00 our time. We arrived at home at 9:00 the next day. We traveled straight thru and saw nothing but highways. As we by-passed all towns.
But I still had one more surprise in store for me. Which was arranged by my Daddy. We went to Toccoa, Ga. Which is the home of my very best friend, Mary Ann M. and her parents, Rev. and Mrs. A. N. M.. I consider this the biggest high-light of my entire trip. Of course Mary Ann wasn’t home, as she is in Europe for the summer. But I was equally as happy to see her parents, who were our next door neighbors for eight years. After a short visit with them, we set out for home.
We drove all night and only stopped to get something to eat and stretch our legs. When arriving home I was tired, dirty, legs swollen, hungry and fat as a pig. You see, every time we stopped Daddy would bring me a coke to the truck or we would get Dairy Cream Ice Cream. I was much too sleepy to be happy that I was home again. You may think from this little write-up of my trip, that I didn’t enjoy it very much. But I can truthfully say that I had the best time of my life. And certainly the most UNUSUAL. There are so many things that were left out. But I will save them just to remember to laugh when I’m blue.
The Cast Of Characters in this Story Not necessarily in the order of appearance...
Main Charter and leading star and stunt man..
Herman W. C... Head of the family and Ram Rod of the Trailer Load. (daddy)
Supporting Role..
S BC. (TWO).. Daughter of Ram Rod Driver, Riding Shot Gun and writing Journal...
Lesser Characters... in a cast of many...
THE KING
wife of THE KING
Cathy, daughter of THE KING
Needy family... standing at attention ...look outs.... for the hopefully arriving trailer train..
Cameo Appearances..
Grammy... Mother. of the clan...also inventor and instigator of the whole plan to help the special and only son and his "desperately needy" family.
The QUEEN..Also known as"Doodle". younger sister of the KING... the RAKE REMOVER. Member of the farewell waving group.
Billy B... old friend from Miss. who just happened to appear in Washington...
Host of Others, met along the way .... including amazed State and Local Authorities in every state.
Note from the Queen; (2006)
Daddy was always willing to do anything for his children while usually neglecting things that he might have needed or desired. I do not recall him ever taking a vacation of any kind whatsoever because he was often working 2 jobs just to provide for his family. I noticed that he had the passage marked in his BIBLE about a man providing for his family and one that did not was worse than an infidel. I thought how very important this always was to Daddy—and even tho now, I look back and realize the tremendous hardships that he and mom often faced, but we as children NEVER KNEW IT.
We had everything that we ever needed.
The MOST AMAZING THING ABOUT DADDY AND HIS DRIVING DESIRE TO TAKE CARE OF US and to be the BEST FATHER THAT HE COULD BE-----WAS----- THAT HE NEVER HAD A ROLE MODEL. He and his 2 younger brothers were placed in the children’s home (about age 9) when his daddy died and they were later placed in foster homes. Never to be together again and he only saw one of his brothers once after that time. (he had a sister that stayed with his mother, but his mom put the boys in the home—I think that Daddy only saw his mother and sister once and that was when I was in college)
He could have easily been bitter and angry with the world and the how things had turned out for him, but instead, it made him
a stronger, self sufficient, hard working man. Always giving and never asking for anything in return.
He never backed away from a challenge, there was nothing that he could not do, and anything that he attempted got 100% effort- or more!
He was always helping other people thru the years and gave to others when he didn’t have it himself. He truly had a giving spirit.
He never had anyone give him anything at all, no one ever there to HELP him,
he was courageous and faithful, determined and strong. He taught us much about life and of sharing and giving to others. After he provided educational experiences for all of us, he finally for the first time in his life, started a hobby--- FISHING. Well, he worked at that too!!!!! He always caught the most, and the biggest fish in the lake, reservoir or wherever he went. Let’s just say that he WORKED at fishing, just like he worked everyday of his life!
Just like the story we just related to you, on Fathers day-- He was found back in 1958 doing something for one of his children---well, that was Daddy.!!!!
And so on Father’s Day June 18, 2006 we would like to say “Thanks to our Daddy for a job well done” and one day we will be able to tell him again face to face,
Just how much we appreciated all that he did for us and for giving us the security and love of a caring and devoted Father. My, how we were blessed.
Happy Fathers Day
"the Sisters"
